blasphemy

Blasphemy is
insulting, contemptuous, or irreverent speech or behavior toward
a god or something considered sacred.

Finding examples is
quite easy because most religious people are easily offended
when one of their sacred cows is gored. On the other hand, what
some find blasphemous, others find inoffensive.

Christians
became quite upset when Andres Serrano displayed a crucifix in a
jar of urine.
Chris Ofili offended many people with his "Holy
Virgin Mary," a painting utilizing elephant dung and other
offensive items.

Irate Muslims around the world rioted and went
berserk over some cartoons published in a Dutch newspaper that
depicted
Muhammad.

In July 2009, eight
Christians were burned alive in Pakistan over blasphemy
allegations.*

Some Christians
found an art work depicting the Virgin Mary wearing a niqab
offensive, while some Muslims found it appropriate.*

Religious
institutions and theocratic states are not the only ones that
have blasphemy laws. Ireland's President Mary McAleese recently
signed a blasphemy bill into law. The blasphemy provisions
of the Defamation Bill make it an offense to cause outrage among
a substantial number of the adherents of a religion by
intentionally publishing material that grossly abuses or insults
matters held sacred by their religion.*
The blasphemous Muhammad cartoons would seem to be illegal in
Ireland under this law.

England and Wales
abolished blasphemy laws in 2008, but countries like
Pakistan and
Afghanistan consider any derogatory remarks about the Qur’an or Muhammad deserving of severe punishment, including
death.

Some parts of
Australia ban blasphemy, but there hasn't been a prosecution
there for the offense since 1919.*

"Canada lists
blasphemous libel as a crime under the Criminal Code, which
carries a penalty of up to two years in jail. But the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees free speech rights
that supersede the blasphemy law."*

September 30 has been
declared International
Blasphemy Day as part of "a movement to dismantle the wall
which exists between religion and criticism." The day was chosen
because it was
on this day in 2005 that the Danish cartoons which depict
Muhammad's face were published.

The newspapers which chose to publish these
cartoons were in many cases blamed for the outpouring of
violence which followed. This unfortunate yet inevitable
sequence of events clearly demonstrated a dangerous
misconception that had piggy-backed into the 21st century on
the shoulders of ignorance, fear and apathy, that all
religious beliefs and ideas deserve respect and are beyond
criticism or satire.

International Blasphemy Day is a movement,
not just a day, to remind the world that religion should never
again be beyond open and honest discussion or reproach. Our
future depends on it.*

Egypt: ‘Outrageous’ guilty verdict in blasphemy case an assault on free expression "Alber Saber Ayad was arrested at his home in Cairo on 13 September 2012, after angry groups of men surrounded his house and called for his death, accusing him of heresy and atheism and of promoting Innocence of Muslims – a short film regarded by many to be offensive." He has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of “defamation of religion.”

CFI, IHEU Collaborate to Oppose Blasphemy Laws at UN After a procedural technicality prevented the IHEU from delivering its statement before the Human Rights Council, CFI agreed to deliver a joint statement on behalf of both CFI and the IHEU condemning blasphemy laws and violence in the name of religion.